Review Detail

ONCE UPON A TAIL is an entertaining early graphic novel with plenty of humor and themes of friendship. The book is broken into three stories with a roundtable at the end. In the first story, Poppy the dragon wants to be a superhero, but Wallace says that dragons are supposed to be the villains. Once they shrug off societal expectations, they decide that their skills are pretty super - and they are both superheroes! In the second story, they try new foods, and in the third, Poppy gets a haircut.

What I loved: These are fantastically fun stories, perfect for early independent readers. The graphic novel features large panels, short dialogue, and plenty of color and detail. This is great for early independent readers who are moving on from picture books, but not fully into chapter books (or anyone who loves to laugh!). The dialogue is easily attributable and written in a clear font, so it is easy to follow and read.

The stories themselves have great themes of friendship, being true to yourself, and not bearing the weight of social expectations. Across the stories, these are all conveyed well, with plenty of humor and good fun. A goat that appears throughout provides extra humor and delivers some of the funniest lines and faces! Poppy and Wallace are both charming characters that children will enjoy - a delightful new graphic novel duo!

Final verdict: ONCE UPON A TAIL is a delightful new graphic novel with strong themes, charming characters, and easy-to-follow text that is perfect for early independent readers!